'I didn't want to speak to anybody' – Morata opens up about tough period at Chelsea

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has lifted the lid on his difficult first season in English football, admitting there were times he didn’t want to speak to anyone.

The Spaniard scored 11 goals in 31 appearances following his arrival from Real Madrid, a final total that was disappointing given he netted seven in his first seven.

‘I’ve learned many things from last season. It was very difficult for me,’ Morata told Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

‘I left home to play the World Cup and I wasn’t included in the squad anyway.
‘Now that my two sons are born I can control my emotions a bit better, both the positive and negative ones. I am happy when I am outside the pitch.’
Morata went on to admit that he sometimes struggles to deal with his emotions while playing for Chelsea, and was upset during the second half of the season.

‘I’d like to be happier when I play,’ he continued. ‘I need to score more goals in order to be happier. I was really sad a few months ago.
‘I wasn’t depressed but I didn’t live my situation very well. People used to love me, I scored seven goals in the first seven games at Chelsea.
‘Then I got injured and I was playing even if I was feeling pain. There was lot of tension and I didn’t want to speak to anybody.

‘One day my wife told that I wasn’t handling the situation in the right way. I was angry because I thought she was against me too.’

Morata now has two sons, Alessandro and Leonardo, after his wife Alice Campello gave birth on July 29.
The striker has since changed his squad number from nine to 29 to honour his children, and he has scored twice in his last two appearances for Chelsea.